It was quite a dark and rainy night, and Mikhail Ivanov was alone and heading to one of his favorite restaurants. The neon signs seemed to bring out the dark features of Mikhail’s face even more than usual that night. Mikhail was a man of immense proportions, 250 pounds of pure muscle, 6’7, short black hair, darkish skin, and wearing a suit designed in the latest Italian styles. He walked out of the rain into Chao-Pings Asian Cuisine, a Chinese restaurant located in the Asian district of New York City. Mikhail Ivanov sat down at table and began to peruse the menu. An Asian waiter approaches him.

“May I take your order sir?” inquired the waiter.

“I’ll have the chicken fried rice with egg rolls and an iced tea,” replied Mikhail.

“Right away sir,” the waiter then turns and walks away. Although it seemed like Mikhail was just a regular customer in the restaurant, there were many other reasons he was there. You see, Mikhail wasn’t your ordinary New York citizen, not only was he Russian and ex-Spetznaz, he was also an agent employed by the government and the New York Police Department to assassinate the leader of an immense underground criminal empire, Tom Smith, who was somewhere in this restaurant. His current mission was the only thing he thought about. He didn’t think about his TV, his couch, or even his lovely girlfriend Maria, no matter what the cost was the mission came first. The food arrived and Mikhail thoroughly enjoyed it, but now back to the mission. Going up front to pay he spotted his target, Tom Smith. Making it look like he had to use the bathroom, Mikhail headed that way and into the back of the restaurant.

“No, stop please, I don’t know anything,” said a woman.

Mikhail recognized the voice, it was Maria!

“That is a lie! I know there is assassins after me, now tell me who it is!” A vicious slap is heard. Mikhail recognized the other voice too, Tom Smith.

“Please I don’t know, honestly,” cried Maria

“Then you leave me no choice.” The sound of a gun being cocked is heard. Mikhail had to make a difficult decision quickly. Does he save Maria and jeopardize the mission, or does he let his girlfriend die to complete the mission? He knew that he should just let her die but he couldn’t. He had to save her! Mikhail kicked in the door.

“NYPD, freeze!” Shouted Mikhail.

“Ahh, the famous Mikhail Ivanov. The government’s top agent, I should’ve known they’d send you after me.”

“Drop your weapon now!” Mikhail took aim at Smith with his gun.

“No.” Smith fired his gun, and for Mikhail, time slowed down. He stood there in complete disbelief, just wondering, how…how could he just carelessly take Maria’s life? It was at this very moment that Mikhail fully realized what type of person he was dealing with. He wasn’t just dealing with a crime lord; he was dealing with a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. He wanted to shoot Tom Smith, make him pay for what he just did, but he couldn’t, and while he was standing there contemplating what had just happened, Tom Smith escaped, and the guards showed up.

Mikhail couldn’t fight them off, not right now, he just ran, all the way back to his apartment. Mikhail went into his apartment and collapsed on his bed and began to cry.

“Why? Why did she have to die?” Mikhail shouted this over and over again until he finally fell asleep. He was abruptly woken from his slumber though by a phone call. It was Ray Bianchi; the person in charge of Mikhail’s department, and the one Mikhail took orders from.

“Ivanov, what’s wrong with you? One dead body, full-blown panic in a Chinese restaurant, and worst of all, Tom Smith escaped. You know what this means right?”

“No, what?” replied Mikhail.

“You really don’t remember? What you were told the very first day you accepted to be part of this department.”

“No. I don’t remember.”

“Anyone who fails their mission is to be immediately and discreetly terminated. You can expect the agent at your place before 6:00 A.M.” Ray hung up the phone. Mikhail looked at the clock.

“Its 5:00 A.M. right now, I’ve got to get out of here quickly!” Mikhail got out of bed as fast as he could, packed some clothes and some food and left his apartment in a hurry. Mikhail walked down the busy, rainy streets of New York wondering where he was going to go.

“I should probably just find a hotel. Use a fake name.” Mikhail thought to himself. He found a hotel overlooking a river that was far away from his apartment but still located within the city. He checked in using a fake name and went to his new room. It was here that he formulated his plan for revenge. Later that night, Mikhail headed back out to the restaurant, and waited until a member of Tom Smith’s criminal empire exited the restaurant and headed home. Mikhail followed him home and later snuck in the back door, so he could brutally interrogate and kill him, just so he could find out where Tom Smith lived.

Mikhail spent the next few months surveying the terrain and statistics of Tom Smiths home, but he had to stop momentarily because government agents were still looking for him vigorously day and night. He did however find out the name of the assassin after him, Aazim Atallah. After his extensive research though, Mikhail determined the best way to infiltrate Tom Smiths mansion on the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, the only way to do that was going through the windows. Mikhail snuck on to the premises during yet another dark and rainy night. Used a grappling hook to reach the roof, and then tied a rope securely onto a statue on the roof swung down, and crashed through a window, into the very room Tom Smith was occupying.


“You!” Tom Smith exclaimed viciously. “I should’ve known you would have come for me.” Tom Smith laughed evilly and then sighed. “But alas, it is time for you to die”
Mikhail and Smith engaged in hand-to-hand combat until the bright lights of a helicopter shone through the window and a large Middle Eastern man crashed through the window. This must be Aazim thought Mikhail to himself.
“Why is everyone breaking my windows?” Tom Smith said out loud.
Aazim picked himself up off the ground and brushed the glass off of himself.
“Both of you stop right there,” said Aazim “I have orders from Mr. Ray Bianchi telling me that neither of you are to leave this building alive.”
“Good luck,” said Tom Smith as he was running out the door.
“No!” yelled Mikhail. “I’ve already let you get away once Tom Smith. I will not do so again!” Mikhail began to give chase.
“Why do they always have to run?” Aazim asked himself before chasing after Mikhail.
Tom Smith got outside and got into one of the many cars waiting outside the mansion and began to drive away as quickly as possible towards the city. Mikhail and Aazim did the same. Tom Smith, Mikhail, and Aazim never got far behind one another mimicking each others moves. When the chase reached the city, things got hectic. Weaving in and out of lanes, dodging cars and taking high speed turns. They were nearing the edge of the city and they got onto a bridge. Aazim went as fast as he could and got next to Mikhail before getting out a pistol and preparing to shoot. Tom Smith saw this and came up with a dastardly plan. There was a bus coming the other way. Smith shot the driver, causing the bus to swerve into the other lane and in front of Mikhail and Aazim. The bus hit Aazim head on and killed him but Mikhail swerved and careened over the barrier, off side of the bridge and into the water below. He nearly drowned but was able to get out of the car and swim to land.
Mikhail went back up to the street, got in a taxi and went back to his hotel room, defeated again and thought quietly to himself. He made the decision to just get out of town and give up, go somewhere where he wouldn’t be bothered by anyone. He was getting ready to leave until he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to be greeted by Tom Smith.
“You didn’t really think I would let you get away that easily did you?” said Smith. “Now… It’s time for you to finally die!” Smith lunged at Mikhail with a knife. Mikhail side stepped it and punched Smith in the face. Smith responded with a swift kick to the groin which made Mikhail lower his defenses and allowed Smith to put him in a sleeper hold. Mikhail picked up the lamp and beat Smith in the face until he let go and then picked up the knife, stabbed Smith in the stomach with it, and then broke his Smith’s neck.
It was finally over. Tom Smith was dead. But Mikhail didn’t feel better, he didn’t have Maria back. It was now that Mikhail realized that revenge caused nothing but pain and loss of human life. Mikhail never wanted to kill again. He stood there thinking to himself for a while before realizing he had one last thing he needed to do. He took his pistol out of its holster, and stood by the window. A bellhop right outside the door hears the shot and rushes in. There lay Mikhail, pistol in hand, and his crimson blood staining the white curtains.